High Cholesterol | What All Patients Need to Know

hi my name is dr hart pinto i'd like to talk to you about a condition called high cholesterol or as doctors call it hyperlipidemia we will look at what is cholesterol and why is high cholesterol bad what causes a high cholesterol what are the symptoms of high cholesterol and how is it diagnosed can my diet influence my cholesterol what is the role of dietary supplements such as plant sterols stanols and fish oils or the factors that may reduce your cardiovascular risk and which patients will require medication to manage their cholesterol levels and what treatments are available so what is cholesterol and why is high cholesterol bad cholesterol is fat that is produced by many different cells in the body most commonly those in the liver some of the cholesterol found in the blood is also contributed through our diet some cholesterol is essential for the normal running of the body it provides some of the structure of the cells in the body and is essential for making hormones such as testosterone however your doctor may become concerned if you are discovered to have high levels of cholesterol within your blood in some cases this can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease increasing the chances you may suffer a stroke or a heart attack this is through the development of fatty deposits within the blood vessels called atheromas your doctor will review the different types of cholesterol present within your blood and these can indicate to your doctor your risk profile and whether any intervention is required you may have heard your doctor talk about good cholesterol which is hdl or high density lipoprotein which has a protective effect preventing cardiovascular disease the bad cholesterol ldl or low density lipoprotein have a negative effect and are known to increase your risk of cardiovascular disease what causes a high cholesterol as we have discussed everybody has circulating cholesterol within their blood different people have different levels of cholesterol and different ratios of good to bad cholesterol cholesterol is known to be influenced by our genetics some people with high cholesterol may find this runs in their family and can represent a genetic disorder in how your body controls your levels of cholesterol if you are diagnosed with this genetic condition you may hear your doctor use the term familial hyperlipidemia which sounds very clever but rarely just stands for family high blood fat your ethnic group can also influence your risk of high cholesterol with higher rates seen amongst those patients from southern asian countries several other factors may also increase your risk but cannot be readily changed such as being of male sex women who've also experienced early menopause older individuals also have a higher likelihood of having higher cholesterol levels when tested certain other medical conditions also have the potential to influence your blood cholesterol levels these include obesity underactive thyroid kidney and liver disease and also excessive alcohol consumption what are the symptoms of high cholesterol having high cholesterol levels does not give you any symptoms however some patients may experience symptoms linked to associated cardiovascular disease such as chest pain in the form of angina heart attacks or strokes therefore it is likely that your diagnosis of high cholesterol is only made after your doctor requests a blood test your doctor may however be able to identify some rare signs of high cholesterol including archicinalis which is cholesterol deposits seen on the cornea of the eye xanthelasma which are cholesterol deposits seen around the eyes and xanthomas which are cholesterol deposits sometimes found on the tendons can my diet influence my cholesterol yes a proportion of the cholesterol circulating in our blood originates directly from the food we eat therefore diet forms an important factor in managing cholesterol choosing a well-balanced diet can provide benefit helping you reduce your cholesterol levels however it is unusual that dietary changes alone will be effective enough in many patients medications are also required to reduce cholesterol levels and overall cardiovascular risk so what about plant sterols stanols and fish oils certain cholesterol lowering products are available to buy in the form of plant sterols or stannols whilst there is evidence that these may assist in reducing blood cholesterol levels currently there is some uncertainty as to whether these also reduce your risk of strokes or heart attacks fish oils or omega-3 supplements also have some evidence of suggesting that they can reduce circulating blood cholesterol levels however again the evidence is still unclear it is also important to recognize that using plant sterols stanils or fish oils should not be seen as a replacement for a healthy balanced diet if you have further questions about this then please discuss this with your regular doctor or dietitian is there anything else i can do to reduce my cardiovascular risk there are certain lifestyle choices which in combination with a high cholesterol can increase your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke these factors can be improved through patient dedication and support of the doctor your doctor is likely to recommend that you stop smoking and frequently can provide support in the form of smoking cessation services reducing your alcohol intake to comply with the national recommended allowance can also be a further benefit improving activity levels not only increases cardiovascular fitness but also assists in weight loss patients who are overweight can also be of increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease your doctor will also want to ensure that your other medical conditions are under control such as high blood pressure and diabetes will i need to start on medications your doctor will review your blood tests in combination with several other factors they may assess your risk for developing heart attacks or strokes in the future using something called the q risk calculator it is important to note that doctors work in accordance with the best research evidence available at that time as such national guidelines on who should and shouldn't receive medical treatment has the potential to change your target levels for your cholesterol can also vary based on your q risk so your cholesterol target is likely to differ from someone else so what medications are available statins are the mainstay they're the most commonly prescribed medication used to reduce cholesterol levels these medications work by reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by your liver reducing the circulating cholesterol in your blood dr jumbocus has created a separate information video describing atova statin this is the most commonly type of statin prescribed here she discusses the benefits and potential side effects associated with this medication however some patients may not be suitable for statins and therefore may require different medical treatments bile acid sequestrants these medications work by binding to the bile acids released from the gallbladder and liver preventing their reabsorption in the gut by preventing this bile reabsorption it creates a knock-on effect of lowering your cholesterol vibrates vibrates act by promoting the removal of triglyceride levels in the blood and promoting hdl the gold cholesterol produced in the liver azetamibe azettamy works by preventing the absorption of cholesterol in the gut and therefore reduces the circulating availability of cholesterol in the blood thank you for watching we hope you found this information useful if you have enjoyed this video why not subscribe click the bell or write down below of course this video does not provide individual medical advice and is intended for information purposes only do not consider this as a substitute for professional medical advice diagnosis or treatment please don't ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you've heard here if you believe you may have a medical emergency immediately call your doctor or ambulance service thank you for watching you

Channel: JHP Medical UK

Views: 299,572

Keywords: High Cholesterol, what are the symptoms of high cholesterol in the body, how to lower triglycerides, Cholesterol and high blood pressure, sign of high cholesterol, can high cholesterol cause high blood pressure, how do you get high cholesterol, hereditary high cholesterol, reduce cholesterol, cholesterol test, causes of high cholesterol, how to lower high cholesterol, how to lower cholesterol, ldl cholesterol, hdl cholesterol, high cholesterol eyes, Hyperlipidemia, hyperlipidaemia

Id: xIA_vuY2paM

Length: 8min 47sec (527 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 26 2020